Freespool
Veteran Member
Hello all,
A few weeks ago I posed a question about installing a VHF radio on my 14' Inflatable. Well it caused quite a stir with many people who were of the opinion that I should simply "remember" to bring a handheld VHF radio and call it a day.
I gathered everyone's advice/opinions and opted to hard mount a Standard Horizon into the dash. I also opted to put in a small Clarion Bluetooth stereo and speakers. I redid all op the switches with a new Blue Seas switch panel and added small (red) LED courtesy lights.
When I was working on the battery, I noticed the plywood floor boards under the console were cracked and ready to fail. I went to home depot and purchased some 1/2" plywood and covered it with resin to seal it. I screwed them into place under the console.
Lastly, I removed the steering wheel and gauges and remade the cover plate out of black starboard to modernize the look. The steering wheel needed to be cut off and I had to replace the steering assembly. No big deal because the steering was very rough. I replaced the steering mechanism and purchased a new 13.5" wheel. It steers really well now. I still need to find the right size acorn nut for the steering wheel to make it look nice.
All in all I spent about 3 full days and roughly $1,000 to pimp my ride.
The inflatable came with the boat when we purchased it back in May. The motor hadn't been started in many years and it needed to have the tubes replaced ($5K).
I wish I had taken photos of the work in progress, but I just didn't think of it. Here is a shot of the finished product.
A few weeks ago I posed a question about installing a VHF radio on my 14' Inflatable. Well it caused quite a stir with many people who were of the opinion that I should simply "remember" to bring a handheld VHF radio and call it a day.
I gathered everyone's advice/opinions and opted to hard mount a Standard Horizon into the dash. I also opted to put in a small Clarion Bluetooth stereo and speakers. I redid all op the switches with a new Blue Seas switch panel and added small (red) LED courtesy lights.
When I was working on the battery, I noticed the plywood floor boards under the console were cracked and ready to fail. I went to home depot and purchased some 1/2" plywood and covered it with resin to seal it. I screwed them into place under the console.
Lastly, I removed the steering wheel and gauges and remade the cover plate out of black starboard to modernize the look. The steering wheel needed to be cut off and I had to replace the steering assembly. No big deal because the steering was very rough. I replaced the steering mechanism and purchased a new 13.5" wheel. It steers really well now. I still need to find the right size acorn nut for the steering wheel to make it look nice.
All in all I spent about 3 full days and roughly $1,000 to pimp my ride.
The inflatable came with the boat when we purchased it back in May. The motor hadn't been started in many years and it needed to have the tubes replaced ($5K).
I wish I had taken photos of the work in progress, but I just didn't think of it. Here is a shot of the finished product.
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